Inexperianced Wood Furnace user need alittle help.

[Dana Zinck]

Hello,

I am a new home owner, and I use an older style Newmac WAO/GAO Wood Furnace, and I am very well acknowledging that it needs some repairs.

The question I have for right now, is the cast iron support that holds the fire bricks in place. I need to know exactly what that's call, so I can purchase a new one, if they still make them for my model Wood Furnace. Its so heat damaged that is actually bent inward, and split in the back. The bricks are so loose, I have to slowly place my wood in, hoping I don't get burned.

Also, this year has been a bad one, I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and our winters can get pretty chilly. Is it normal that if I fill my furnace before bed, in the morning its almost freezing, and nearly any coals left. I've gone through 5 cords of hard starting from around November, and had to turn on my electric heat mid February because I ran out of wood. What would be the main problem for this issue.

I don't have enough money to invest in a new furnace right now, but I would love to know that I can go a winter without worrying I'm going to run out of wood. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[maple1]

The heavy wood usage could be a leaky house. Or a leaky furnace. Or both, pretty hard for us to say. And maybe other factors mixed in, like your chimney.

There are a couple things you can measure while burning to try to see how it's performing - flue gas temperature, and flue draft. Heat damage could indicate overfire from too much draft and/or leaky door or draft controls.

Have you tried contacting Newmac about the parts or a manual? They are made in NS in Debert.

 

[Maine Man]

The heavy wood usage could be a leaky house. Or a leaky furnace. Or both, pretty hard for us to say. And maybe other factors mixed in, like your chimney.

There are a couple things you can measure while burning to try to see how it's performing - flue gas temperature, and flue draft. Heat damage could indicate overfire from too much draft and/or leaky door or draft controls.

Have you tried contacting Newmac about the parts or a manual? They are made in NS in Debert.

I have a Newmac, a few years old now, had to replace warped parts, now the firebox is warped, never again!